Corentyne

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A man who was the prime suspect in the shooting death of a Corentyne man and the wounding of another, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.The man Suresh Sakawat called “Vishal” 28, a labourer of Clifton Settlement, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga in the Whim Magistrate’s Court on the two charges.According to Prosecutor Sergeant Althea Solomon, on Friday June 2 at Expectation, Port Mourant Back Dam, Sakawat shot and killed Sasenarine Baljit, 40, called “Frying Pan” of Clifton Settlement. He is also accused of wounding Navendra Permaul, 39, of Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice, during the same shooting spree.The bullet-riddled body of Baljit, a farm labourer, was found on Friday June 2 at Tain Settlement, Corentyne, two days after he was believed to have escaped an attack on a camp by the gun-toting Sakawat. While it was reported that Permaul was shot and injured, it was reported that Baljit had escaped.Police after conducting diligent investigation and acting swiftly moved in on a house owned by Sakawat’s brother in law at Eversham, Corentyne, where he was nabbed on Sunday morning.A post mortem examination conducted by Government Pathologist Dr. Viikanand Brijmohan concluded that Baljit died from shock and hemorrhage due to gunshot injuries. The body bore about seven shotgun injuries to the back.Permaul had stated that he and Baljit were at the camp of their bossman – cattle farmer Sheldon Leiso called ‘Shelly’ of Port Mourant, some 15 miles in the back dam. He said around 21:00hrs, Sakawat had entered the camp armed with a gun.  Subsequently there was an altercation and the man threatened to kill him and the altercation intensified. Sakawat then lashed him in his chest.Permaul stated that both he and Baljit began to run and Sakawat opened fire, and he was hit in his belly and right foot. He thought that ‘Frying Pan’ had escaped the onslaught.Permaul was subsequently taken out of the back dam the next day by his boss and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was admitted and underwent emergency surgery.A search was mounted for Baljit, but it was not until Friday that his bullet-riddled body was found. Sakawat is expected to return to court on July 13.